By Sebastian Geisler
Remarkable appeal from the district of Warendorf (Münsterland)! Citizens should now print out “important information” from the Internet to prevent a blackout! The district warns: “Without electricity, you can’t google anything on the internet. Print out important information today!”
“Even your mobile phone as a data storage device will only be available for a limited time without an external power supply,” says the district’s website. So the following applies: Back up data on paper.
Olaf Gericke (56, CDU), District Administrator for the district of Warendorf, on BILD: “The districts and communities are preparing intensively for extraordinary situations such as power outages. But every individual should also make their own provision, because it is better to be prepared.”
The information that citizens should put on paper includes, in particular, an extensive address and telephone directory, “which you should update and print out regularly”.
This information should be on your list:
► Contact details of close family members, important friends and acquaintances
► Local emergency contacts and points of contact (family doctor, nursing service, medical on-call service, hospital, rescue station, police station, nearest fire station, pharmacy emergency service, etc.)
► Service providers and suppliers (electricity providers, public utilities, telephone providers, etc.)
Also print out “emergency information points”.
The district also says: “As part of the preparation for an energy shortage, some districts and municipalities are setting up so-called ’emergency information points’, which are manned by rescue workers from the fire brigade in the event of a longer power outage or total failure of the telephone network.”
And further: “There, citizens can then submit emergency reports, which are then forwarded by radio from there. The addresses of such ’emergency information points’ in your area should definitely be on your information list.”
75 communities in Münsterland have joined the campaign “Precaution instead of worry – Better ready”, advising, for example, to have emergency food supplies, a grill and a crank radio ready.
The campaign was developed in the Ruhr Regional Association. There it says: Power failures show us “impressively how many things in everyday life we need energy for”. But if you are well prepared, you will “get through a time without electricity”.
On the campaign website A blackout scenario is described like this: “It is late in the evening and a storm is raging outside. Suddenly there’s a commotion outside and a moment later the lights go out inside. A look out of the window shows that it is also dark in the apartments across the street and the street lamps are no longer lit. A tree fell and buried the power line underneath it. Lamps, refrigerator, stove, heating, television … – with power outages like this, nothing works at first.”
Since supermarkets would no longer open in the event of a longer power outage, citizens should keep a supply of food for ten days.
With fondue set and tea warmer
However, the makers of the campaign warn: “Stoves and ovens don’t work without electricity – but a camping stove or a fondue set do. You only need enough gas cartridges or fuel paste – and you can cook simple meals with these ’emergency kitchens’.”
It goes on to say: “Another alternative for heating food can be a teapot warmer.” This is usually used to warm the teapot with tea lights. But now the warmer is supposed to be much more useful: “Without much effort, dishes that don’t need so much heat can be prepared with it. This could be oatmeal, for example,” is the tip. “A grill on the balcony or in the garden can at least temporarily replace the stovetop if you have enough charcoal, briquettes or gas available.”
The balcony becomes the kitchen
With a gas or charcoal grill (enough gas and charcoal!) you can prepare food outside (!), for example on the balcony. Important: Never use a grill inside the apartment. There is an acute risk of poisoning from carbon monoxide!
For those who want to heat despite the failure of the heating system, the following applies: “A fireplace or stove with a sufficient supply of coal, briquettes or wood is ideal. There are also mobile heaters that can be operated, for example, with liquid gas or odorless petroleum.” Blankets and warm clothing offer “basic protection against the cold”.